DannyMay 2017
by Angel Weasel-Woman
Summary: A series of drabbles for DannyMay. Chapter 30: Identification. "Hey, Vlad... Do you know where Maddie is?" Chapter 31: Free Day. The zoo in Madison, Wisconsin could now boast the most up-to-date tiger enclosure in the whole United States.
1. Hope

Maddie lay in his bed, eyes closed, breath shallow. Vlad reached out, gently running his fingers through her short, silky hair. It was killing him inside, this waiting. He'd given her the medicine and now all he could do was hope it worked.

Wait to see if she lived.

For so long, if he'd wanted anything, all he'd ever needed to do was take it. A single word could fall from his lips and people would fall over themselves to make it so.

So when he'd found her that morning, collapsed under the strain of simply existing, he'd had no idea what to do.

" _Stress," the doctor had told him. "It happens, sometimes. Have you been gone for a while?"_

He'd been in Amity Park only for a few days, terrorizing Daniel and his little friends.

" _It might be pancreatitis. If so, she'll need monthly dialysis, daily antibiotics. Almost round the clock care."_

He looked at the spot on her arm where they'd placed the IV. She'd needed liquids and couldn't even bring herself to drink. He gently caressed her, breath hitching when she opened one eye to look at him. The moonlight caught her pupil, making it flash.

"Maddie, my dear," he whispered, trying to smile. She liked it when he smiled at her. "Rest. I'll be right here."

The small white cat, so frail and thin now, reached out with one paw, flexing her claws to gently wrap around his thumb with a thunderous purr.

He hoped she would live through the night.

* * *

A/N: High-strung cats are the worst, you guys. This little drabble was based on my cat who, after I left for the weekend decided to stress herself almost to death because she thought I was never coming back. You had plenty of food and water and your cat-siblings, what more did you want?! I was gone for less than 48 hours ;-; (She's fine now, some fluids and medication and she's healthy as ever with no need for expensive dialysis~)

Beyond that, I'm happy to participate in my first DannyMay~ And for this, I'm going to focus on the most underrated character – Maddie the cat. I hope you enjoy all the kitty tales~

(Also, if any of you dear readers wandered in from my Digimon headcannon/Digimon V fics, I swear I'm still going to work on those ;-; It was just a major hassle with moving, and then every computer we had crashed and I lost everything I'd been working on and I only just got enough motivation to start writing, like, a month ago. But I promise, no Child shall be left unangsted!)


	2. Ice

It was in the middle of the night that Vlad awoke.

For no particular reason, however. There were no ghosts making noise (they were all too afraid of angering him), no employees wandering around at this hour (he only had a maid service come once a week and hired a driver when necessary, otherwise he was completely alone in his mansion), not even the nocturnal crying of some animal outside his window (Maddie had taken care of almost all the rodents around his home, and had frightened the majority of the birds to new nests).

No, he'd simply opened his eyes and was completely awake.

It happened sometimes, he knew. Mild bouts of insomnia that hit in the dead of night. He knew in the back of his mind that it was from being far too lonely, but he refused to acknowledge that thought. Besides, he wasn't completely alone. Not anymore.

He swung his legs over the side of his bed without even a yawn or a stretch. A quick glance at his clock told him it was nearly three in the morning, and his alarm was set to go off in two hours anyway. Honestly, if he tried to force himself back to sleep now, he'd only be groggy later on.

He grabbed the balled up bundle of sheets, ready to pull it back into place until tonight when it caught, snagged on a heavy lump that twitched sleepily.

"Maddie, you need to move," he told it. "I need to make the bed."

The lump shifted, a paw stretching out into view before vanishing back under the cover.

"Maddie, wake up."

The sheet continued to breathe peacefully.

Vlad tugged gently, frowning when he heard the silken cloth tear slightly. The cat had dug her claws through it an into the mattress. He rolled his eyes, abandoning his task for the moment. There was only one way to wake the beast this early.

It was a quick walk to the kitchen, clad in his plush white and red robe. Normally, after making his bed, he'd shower, make breakfast, review his stocks, and then head to work, but lately a white lump seemed to be changing his twenty year habit.

He stood in front of his refrigerator, pressing down on the ice dispense button and tapping one slipper against the cold tile. This infernal machine always took so long and it rumbled so loud, how Maddie didn't wake to this every morning, he would never know.

With a wheezing groan, the machine sputtered, a handful of ice cubes spewing out from its gaping maw. With no glass to catch them, the cubes clattered to the ground, one shattering on the tile and two others skittering across the floor. Vlad knew he would have to wipe the melting shards up later, but he allowed himself to smile at the sounds of Maddie's claws scrabbling against hardwood.

In a flash of white fur, the lazy beast flew into the kitchen and flung herself at the scattered ice. She fell bonelessly on the tile, holding one cube between her front paws and kicking at it with her back. Green eyes were thin black slits as she eyed the other chunk of ice, still shredding the first with her hind claws.

Vlad twitched his toes in his slipper, making Maddie's ears shoot forward as her attention focused on the odd lumps that danced under red velvet. The man was smiling as he nudged the other ice cube across the kitchen floor, laughing absurdly at the cat's quick decision to abandon her first prey and tear off after the second, slipping in the droplets of shattered ice.

Yes, Vlad would have to clean this all up before leaving for work, but, for now, he would allow Maddie her favorite icy toys.


	3. Animals

Maddie padded down the hallway, long tail twitching gently. Her nose wiggled and her whiskers quivered. Somewhere, far away, was Vlad. But the smell was different. Colder.

Her ears perked forward, eyes slitting, but it was just the shadow of a bird outside the window. Nothing to concern her.

She watched the window for a long while, just in case, before continuing her search. The bell on her collar had long since stopped jingling, even as she ran into various rooms. It was the only way she could still catch the mice that were foolish enough to try and invade the mansion.

She sat, slowly, tail curling around her paws. She swished the tip, tapping it against the hardwood. She continued to sniff at the air, huffing lightly, body rocking. Vlad's scent was everywhere, and yet the man couldn't be found.

One ear swiveled to the side, picking out the sticky sound of a lizard climbing a wall somewhere. Gentle and quiet, undetectable by even Vlad's sensitive senses. She would turn to look at it, but decided against it. She stood and walked out of the room. She'd explored the entirety of the lower floor and contemplated trying to climb the grand staircase.

Her whiskers twitched and she leapt up to the first stair.

But she didn't land.

Large, warm hands had grabbed her, Vlad's scent suddenly surrounding her in a pink mist.

"Where are you going, Little Miss?" the man asked, and she could feel his chest rumble as he chuckled.

Maddie eagerly twisted in his arms, digging her claws into the fabric at his shoulder so that she could drag herself closer, pressing her nose into his ear. She purred loudly, settling against his chest and twining her tail around his arm as he held her close.

Not even the sound of mice skritching in the walls or birds singing in the trees could pull her away now. She had found him, and she was happy.


	4. Space

Vlad watched Maddie intently. One ear was pulled forward, the other swerving back and forth like a satellite dish. Her eyes were wide, the light reflecting to make them glow an eerie yellow.

The cat had been sitting there for almost ten minutes now. She'd waltzed into the kitchen, meowing and twining around his ankles as he prepared lunch. When he'd ignored her (she'd sharpened her claws on his sofa in the sitting room, and he was punishing her), Maddie had sat down and waited.

And waited.

And when Vlad had finally decided to acknowledge her, she was completely still.

He couldn't sense any ecto-signatures, so she wasn't possessed. She was still breathing, and her tail was still twitching, so she was still alive.

So he waited, and he watched. He wondered what she was thinking as she stared off into space, or if she was even thinking anything. He took a step toward her, opening his mouth to call out, "Ma-?"

The cat jumped twice her height, tail fluffed to three times its size. With a startled squeak, she twisted in the air and, the moment her paws touched the kitchen tile, she bolted from the room.

Vlad shook his head, hearing as the cat bounced off a closed door before finding the cat flap he'd installed. Such an odd creature, and he was so happy she was there with him.

* * *

A/N: Well, my internet decided to go out yesterday. so y'all get a twofer today~ Enjoy~


	5. Moment In Time

" _Mrr_?"

"No, Maddie, I'm reading."

" _Wrr-lrr_."

Vlad simply continued to flip through the newspaper. Maddie squeaked, rubbing up against his ankles. The man just laughed, reaching down to scratch her behind her ears. She purred, climbing up his knee and stretching her paw out to him. He grabbed her, pulling the cat into his lap. Maddie trilled happily, kneading his thighs.

"Ah, ah, Maddie, not your claws..." Vlad flinched, carefully taking her front paws. She just squeaked louder, wriggling and clenching her claws around his thumbs. Her tail looped around his arm, her purring making her whole body vibrate.

"You spoiled little monster," he murmured with a warm smile. But she was his spoiled little monster, and he couldn't think of any other time he'd been happier.


	6. Ghost

Vlad thought it was interesting, the way Maddie's pupils widened when she looked at his invisible form. Even in full light, she seemed to have complete control over them, and it made him wonder if he was truly invisible. Perhaps some small glimmer of his form remained enough to create a vague silhouette, or it might have been that she could see his ghostly aura.

And he knew she could see him. He would hold an invisible hand over her and wiggle his fingers as he did when he normally played. She would pounce, reaching out with retracted claws to try and catch him. He would levitate off the floor and silently leave the room, Maddie following him, especially if he happened to go in the direction of the kitchen.

For the longest time, he wondered if she could see all ghosts, despite their state of visibility. Would her sharp green eyes pick up on any spirit that dared enter his worldly lair?

(There were times he was tempted to leave his Portal open in an attempt to lure in some intruder, but knew the satisfaction of his curiosity would be far less rewarding than the blow to his reputation should he allow the other ghost to escape.)

Or would she look only at him, stretching up the length of the wall to rub her head against a knee that wasn't truly there?


	7. Weather

It had been storming for several days. Thick gray clouds obscuring the sky, while the tops of the trees were gone in the white haze of rain. Vlad spent most of those days in his mansion, working from home when the internet was available (his generator running on residual ectoplasm given off by the mere existence of his Portal), or otherwise experimenting in the lab, researching in his library, even just cleaning when he became bored. In the middle of the Wisconsin wilderness, there was really nothing else to do.

It was one morning, when the gray sky was lighter than usual and the rain was nothing more than an intermittent dripping, that Vlad decided to take a step outside for some fresh air. He was dressed casually, dark slacks and a red button up, just in case the threatening rumble of distant thunder became a sudden reality. His back porch was a mess of fallen leaves and even some small branches, ripped from the trees that lined his expansive yard. He frowned, nudging a clump of green leaves that was quickly wilting with a scuffed, but comfortable, loafer. He needed to call his landscaper, remove the trees that were becoming unsightly and restore the rose bushes he was certain had once lined the side of his house.

" _Meh-kk_."

Vlad looked up, the high-pitched sound coming from somewhere close by. He twisted his lips, wondering at what creature could sound so pitiful.

" _Weh-meh_."

He looked around. His eyes picked up on the quiver of grass not attributed to the wind, and his ears on the frantic thumping of a scared heart. Under the stairs of his porch, a pair of bright green eyes met his, and a tiny mouth opened, revealing tiny white teeth and a tiny pink tongue.

" _Meah. Meah._ "

 _Such a miserable looking beast_ , he thought. Matted fur, tiny paws huddled under its little body, long tail wrapped around a quivering form. _Did you crawl under there to die?_

Its nose flared, the scent of the supernatural reaching it. For a moment, the creature looked ready to bolt. But then it squeaked again, gravely voice leaving off in a series of clicks.

Vlad frowned. If the animal died under his porch, the smell would become unbearable. But he wasn't so concerned so as to ruin his clothes by laying on the ground to try and grab at it. Perhaps he could lure it out, send it away to die in the forest somewhere.

A quick trip to the kitchen later, and he was laying tiny flakes of a tuna steak on the stone pathway that lead away from the first step. The animal watched him with curious eyes, ears pricked forward. It was old enough, he thought as he watched it, that the baby blue had faded. But there was still a tint around the edges of the iris.

Slowly, watching the man just as intently as it watched the food, the little creature inched forward, hunger outweighing fear. A tiny nose peeked out from the safety of the stairs, cheeks and whiskers quivering as it sniffed. It looked at Vlad for a long minute, then darted out, burying its face in the tuna.

Vlad crouched nearby, the animal not even taking notice of his proximity. When it moved, reaching out with one dirty paw to bring a lump of fish closer, he saw a large wound. A deep gash, almost an inch long, that separated the grungy fur. It did not bleed, however, and the exposed pink flesh looked otherwise healthy. He supposed the animal had kept it clean for some time on its own.

The little thing didn't even notice when Vlad vanished, reappearing moments later with a small yellow tube. It sniffed around, huffing against the stone, as it searched for any remaining tuna. Its tongue lapped at the ground, trying to eat any last traces, and it didn't seem to care as Vlad squeezed some antibiotic ointment onto the tip of his finger and reached out to rub it along the cut. It turned to smell his hand, but when he offered no more food, it turned away.

It kept its tail in the air, the tip a loose curve as it looked to the man. Vlad looked at the ointment he still held.

It would heal the beast long enough for it to leave his property. Out past the line of his gardens it could die or be eaten as it pleased.

* * *

It rained during the night, but had cleared by morning. The line of storms must have been weakening. He was on his porch once more, holding a plate of shredded tuna. It was silly, he told himself. If the animal wasn't dead, it was at least long gone.

The moment he laid the plate on the ground, an off-white blur pounced on it. The ragged thing chewed loudly and noisily, smacking its lips and making a stuttering grumbling noise somewhere beneath its matted fur. Again, it didn't mind as Vlad put more ointment on its wound, far more interested in the sudden appearance of food.

Once the meal was finished, the creature looked up at Vlad. It opened it mouth to squeak before curling up on his left loafer. He made a face at the grit and the smell, and tried not to smile as it continued its feeble little rumbles.

* * *

The sky was still gray, but it hadn't rained for 24 hours. The whole state of Wisconsin held its breath as it waited to see if dry conditions would finally be bestowed upon it.

Vlad took the opportunity to examine his grounds. He would have to create a thorough list of what needed to be trimmed and weeded and replanted for when he called his landscaper. He stepped lightly down his porch steps and had barely touched the stone walkway when a white-ish pile of fur appeared by his feet.

He raised an eyebrow at the animal and it blinked slowly, tail held aloft and curved deeply. He placed down its plate of tuna, treated its healing wound, and walked into his gardens, certain the creature would enjoy its meal and go back to under his porch. But at his movement, the animal looked up, fish falling from a long whisker, and it hurried to catch up with him. Vlad wondered what it was doing, following him, but it didn't seem deterred that he had no more food and that the remaining pile of tuna was already being investigated by a curious ant. He wanted to shrug and tell it "do as you will" but it was silly to talk to an animal.

He walked through the damp grass, the little bundle walking beside him. It kept pace with the man's long strides, and when he paused to examine some broken and torn brush, it sat patiently. Never once did the beast wander away, or further than eyesight at least, and when it lagged behind to investigate an odd flower or fallen branch, it would quickly bound up next to him with a squeak.

Such a long task, often so lonely, left him smiling as he walked back to his mansion. The little creature watched as he stood on his porch, waiting. It didn't duck back under the step, nor did it try and eat off the plate, now swarming with surviving ants. Instead, it bounced up the stairs, squeaking happily. Vlad hesitated. Then, with a smooth movement, he reached down and picked up the rattly little beast.

He could feel the kitten's purring deep in his core.

* * *

A/N: I based this origin story on how my husband and I obtained our latest kitten. Now Jeanne is obsessed with taking care of my husband and will run over to investigate at the slightest cough. It is absolutely precious~


	8. Observants

Plasmius was stretched out on the execution block, Walker standing over him, ready to thrust the glowing spear into his core and obliterate the halfa's very existence.

Which seemed rather premature, since the Observants hadn't even rendered a verdict yet.

The single-eyed ghosts were going on and on "crimes" this and "abomination" that. Honestly, he hadn't done anything _that_ bad in months! In fact, due to their new truce, Daniel had been very good at keeping him in line.

Where was that blasted boy anyway? He'd taken one look at the so-called jury of Plasmius' "peers" and hauled out of the Ghost Zone for something or another. Probably to celebrate finally being rid of his nemesis.

"After much deliberation," spoke one Observant loudly, voice echoing in the expansive room, "we find the accused gui-"

"Hold it!"

Phantom skidded to a stop in front of Plasmius and Walker, the warden scowling. Whether it was because he would have to wait a few moments longer to execute someone, or because of the real-world contraband Phantom had, once _again_ , brought into the Ghost Zone.

"What does the _accursed_ halfa have to say?" the Observant snarled. A few others echoed the sentiment, each voice overlapping into an enraged crescendo.

"Hey, shut up!" Phantom glared, clutching the pink carrier to his chest. He glared until the Observants had simmered down to an irritated grumbling. "You guys said that I couldn't be a witness to how Plasmius changed 'cause he could have brainwashed me, or overshadowed me somehow, or something. I don't know, I wasn't paying attention."

"You know how to inspire my confidence in you, boy," Plasmius grumbled into the green-stained stone he was strapped face-first to.

"Shut up, frootloop. Anyway, I thought, you know, animals are pretty dumb. I've never heard of an animal getting brainwashed or being possessed. Not even Cujo – he's just the _ghost_ of a dog!"

A murmuring spread through the Observants like a wave. When none actively objected, Danny held out the carrier. "So, I figured if an animal can think this idiot is a good guy, doesn't that mean he innocent? Ish?"

"... You have _one_ chance," granted the loudest Observant.

"Awesome!" Danny set the carrier on the ground next to Walker, smirking up at the tall ghost who was seething at the blatant rule-breaking. But this was Plasmius' trial, and he was willing to let this temporarily slide in order to enjoy an execution. The young boy opened the mesh grating, floating over the carrier to poke his face into it, crooning sweetly, "Hey little girl. You wanna see your daddy?"

Inside, Maddie shivered, eyes wide and ears flat. She was pulled into a tiny ball as far away from the door to her carrier as possible. The scent of the supernatural surrounded her, the acrid stench permeating the very air she was trying to breathe.

She had been curled up on Vlad's bed, waiting for the man to come home and feed her. He'd been gone for so long that she'd fallen asleep, curled into a tight ball. Then, out of nowhere, ice-cold hands had grabbed her, stuffed her into her carrier, and then suddenly...

This.

Glowing green eyes peered down at her, a goofy smile above them. The boy, one she was slowly beginning to recognize even as his scent fluctuated just as Vlad's did, reached in with one white glove. She growled low in her chest, swatting with freshly sharpened claws.

Danny yelped, withdrawing his hand and automatically pressing his oozing hand to his mouth. Vibrant green ectoplasm dripped down his palm and Vlad found himself smirking, despite his own dire situation.

 _Good girl, Maddie_ , he thought.

"Stupid cat," Danny grumbled. He looked at his hand, already healed and the glove stitched back together, and grabbed the carrier, turning it on its side to dump out the terrified animal.

Maddie was huffing, deep breaths that were anything but calming. She looked around with slit pupils, taking in the movement of Observants as they leaned in closely. Her lips pulled back in a resounding hiss that made the ghosts step back in what could almost be fear.

"Daniel, you be nice to Maddie!" Vlad insisted, his poor cat with her fur completely on end and tail puffed out more than he'd ever seen before.

At the sound of the man's voice, one ear twitched up, swiveling in his direction. Despite the fear coursing through her, he had always been there to comfort and feed. Slowly, carefully, she moved her tense body one paw at a time. She didn't take her eyes off the large, flowing creatures that were staring intently at her, hissing and swatting any time one came too close. As soon as Vlad's scent was nearby, she risked a glance in his direction.

The Observants were intrigued as the sharp, noisy thing hopped up onto Plasmius' prone body, curling up directly over his core. A deep, angry noise began in it's throat and it yowled loudly at Walker until he took a step away. Once all the ghosts were far enough away from it, a soft, almost relaxing, rumbling began to emanate from it's body.

"See!" Phantom pointed to the display, watching as Maddie dug her claws deep enough into Plasmius' cape to leave little tears in the cloth. "See how much more relaxed she looks! She totally trusts the guy! That means he'd got some good in him, somewhere!"

Whispers filled the room, a hissing not unlike Maddie's anger, as the Observants were forced to agree. None wanted to speak it, however, as all had been looking forward to ridding themselves of one of their two main nuisances.

"The halfa is..." The Observant lingered for so long, Danny actually looked around for Clockwork. "Correct. As the creature has found solace in Plasmius' presence, we are forced to admit that he may not be completely and utterly evil."

"Great! So trial's over, let's go!" Phantom rushed over to Plasmius, snatching Maddie up by the scruff of her neck and snapping the older man's chains.

"Hold it, punk," Walker snarled. He gave Maddie a wary look as she growled again, but he stuck a long finger in Phantom's face. "This is the _second_ time you've brought in real-world contraband. And it's time you finally paid for it."

"I would absolutely _love_ to, Walker – you know how much I love prison food – but Plasmius, Maddie, and I have to get home. Like, now!"

The warden reached out to grab Phantom by the collar of his suit, only for his hand to go through a puff of pink mist.

"Do not fear, Walker," the Observant said as Walker angrily swung the spear through where the two halfas had once been. "You will have another chance soon enough."


	9. Breakfast

The rising sun filled the bedroom with a soft golden light, the sound of something sizzling making Maddie blink awake. She stretched luxuriously, all the way from the tip of her tail to the ends of her whiskers. She took a moment to groom, rubbing a paw over her ears and nibbling on the side of her thigh. The silk sheets were warm and inviting, but the scents and sounds from the kitchen were far more enticing. She leapt to the ground with a _whump_ , nosing her way though the cat door and down the hallway.

The kitchen was warm and she padded up to the man standing at the stove. With a soft trill, she rubbed against his ankles, wrapping her tail around his leg.

"Good morning, sleepy," Vlad greeted. He reached down to scratch between her ears.

" _Wrr_." She arched her back, looking up mournfully.

Vlad smiled down at the cat, telling her, "No, Maddie, I'm cooking."

Maddie sat, curling her tail around her paws. The tip curled up to her chest and her purred loudly.

"No," Vlad insisted. He manuvered the food in his pan, flipping two thick strips of bacon. "You can't always have what you want, little miss."

Maddie blinked slowly, still rumbling with deep purring.

Vlad sighed. "All right, fine. Come here, Maddie."

The man reached down, hefting the cat into his arms. Maddie trilled happily, wriggling until she was settled against his chest, supported by one arm. She dug her claws into his shoulder and wrapped her tail around his wrist.

Vlad laughed at Maddie, nuzzling into her cheek. "Don't act so smug. You're only waiting on me to finish so you can have some of my bacon, you little fiend."

Maddie just continued to purr away, closing her eyes. As comfortable as the bed was, there could be nowhere warmer than where she was now.


	10. Death

In all the time he'd known the man, Danny had never known Vlad to cry. He'd always seemed to poised, so in control, like there was nothing in the world that could affect him.

Aside anger, but that was another story.

So when Vlad had called him, sob breaking his voice, Danny had flown through the Fenton Portal straight to the man's mansion. He zeroed in on Vlad's ecto-signature and found him in his study, head buried in his arms and still clutching his cell phone.

"It's Maddie," Vlad cried softly. "She... There was..."

Danny had never seen the man at a loss for words. He bit his lip, wondering what to do. He gently laid a hand on the man's shoulder.

Vlad sat up a little, placing a bandaged hand over his tear-streaked face. "I was in the gardens. Maddie was walking with me. There's some development going in a few acres from here, and it must have displaced the wildlife. I'll have to move soon – I don't care for others."

He was rambling. Vlad _never_ rambled.

"Of all things it could have been - ghosts or any other manner of monsters – it was a coyote. A normal, living, _hungry_ coyote."

Danny paled.

"It didn't want me. It went for Maddie. I heard her scream and I lost it. I didn't even change, I just blasted the beast – third degree burns on my hand. I teleported Maddie to the closest emergency vet. They said they would do what they could but..." Vlad couldn't stop the sob that tore from his throat. "They called. I told them to... to go ahead and cremate her..."

Danny didn't hesitate when Vlad turned to cry into his chest. He held the broken man as he sobbed, the one thing that had ever loved him back now gone.

* * *

A/N: No Maddie isn't gone for good (I still have too many prompts to go through lol), but I felt this would be a fitting end for her.


	11. Colors

"Ow! Maddie, calm down!"

" _Mrrrr_..."

"It's almost over, just. Sit. Still!"

Vlad glowered at the sounds coming from his bathroom. "Danielle, what are you doing with Maddie?"

"Getting scratched to hell. Ow! You dumb cat."

"If the cat doesn't want a bath, then don't give her a bath. That is the easiest way to avoid injury."

"I'm not giving her a bath. I'm just, almost... done!"

Vlad stepped back as the door swung open. Maddie bolted past, her once glossy white fur now matted and purple, leaving blotchy paw prints down the hall. Vlad whipped around, looking at the little girl Danny had left in his charge. Her hands and arms here sliced up, blood and ectoplasm splattered across the marble floor. Little packets were scattered about and there was some kind of purple sludge in his bathtub.

"What is this?" Vlad demanded, eyes flashing red. "Did you _dye_ my cat?"

"It's not permanent," Dani pouted. She looked up at the enraged man with the widest, puppy-est eyes she could manage. "Danny showed me the Wizard of Oz and he said they dyed the horse with Jell-O, and I wanted to see how much it would take to make Maddie pretty."

"You?! I-!" Vlad groaned and buried his face in his hands. He took a deep breath, trying so hard not to blast this little girl. That would only make a bigger mess. "When is Daniel coming back for you?"

"Dunno." Dani inspected a cut on her wrist before sticking it in her mouth. She made a face and snorted. "Ew. Grape."


	12. Cycles

A/N: This is a continuation of prompt 7: Weather.

* * *

Vlad hadn't realized what sort of lifestyle changes bringing in a kitten would entail. He spent an entire day in town, browsing the local PetSmart, and being chatted up by a teenage employee with far too much time on her hands. He'd left with bags full of things – different dishes for food and water, a fluffy pillow-like bed, a mechanical cat box that washed and reused litter he wouldn't have to touch, numerous toys that either made noises or moved on their own or dangled from doorknobs, and about a hundred cans of cat food.

Of course, the kitten refused to use the bed (it curled up on his sheets and managed to wriggle into his dirty laundry for naps), it was terrified of the noises the box made when it washed the reusable litter (he had to go back to the store and buy three different new ones to place in various areas, as well as several bags of litter, a scoop, and a few new trash cans for disposal), it completely ignored all the toys (preferring to play with the ribbons he used to pull back his hair and wadded up paper it pulled from the trash in his office), and turned its nose up at all the food (the employee laughing when he returned it, saying her own cat liked dry food better, too).

The only thing the little monster seemed to like were the bags of cat treats (it found one he'd left too close to the ground and tore a hole into the package, eating until it threw up on his rug) and the container of catnip the employee had suggested he buy (it had taken a few licks of the green powder and then collapsed, rolling in it and spending the rest of the day in a daze, rubbing against everything and leaving a leafy trail).

It was enough to make Vlad want to kick the thing back out into the gardens, to forget the animal ever existed in the first place.

"I should have left you to die," he grumbled at it one morning, looking at the shredded remains of his favorite tie.

The thing just stretched up on its back paws, rubbing its cheeks against his knee and purring loudly.

It wasn't all bad, he would admit to himself. Late at night, when the silence of his mansion became too oppressive, the little kitten would crawl into his room and lay across his neck, purring and letting its body heat comfort him. Or in the morning, he would wake to find that it had made its way under the covers at some point during the night, a fuzzy presence against the small of his back. Coming home from work, he now had something to greet him with long meows and motor-loud purring instead of the soft echoes of his own footsteps.

"What do I do with you?" he thought out loud one day, laying back on his couch in a most undignified manner. But the kitten liked to lay on his stomach, usually falling asleep as he scratched under its chin.

The animal meowed, loud and long, in response. It had been rather noisy lately, almost screaming at times. Vlad frowned, reaching out to scritch its cheek.

The kitten hissed, biting the tip of his finger and swatting at his hand before leaping to the floor. Vlad yelped, more in surprise than in pain, and sat up quickly.

"You monster," he accused. The kitten just yowled loudly, flopping over onto its side and wriggling, lashing its tail and stretching its paws. The man glared, standing quickly. He realized suddenly just how much this beast had taken over his life and how little regard it had for him. It was time to be rid of it, _now_.

He reached down to grab it by the scruff of its neck, but it twisted quickly. Carefully, gently, it took his hand in both paws and gave him a lick where it had just bit him. A little squeak escaped it and it looked at him, blinking slowly.

 _Did this cat just... apologize?_

His sudden flare of anger died down and Vlad found he had no idea what to do with himself now. People, much less animals, didn't apologize to him. They either flung their anger at him in person and were escorted out by security, or they quit silently and sullenly, tearing him down on any online forum they could find.

But this tiny creature seemed aware of the pain its bite could induce, and seemed rather contrite. It purred loudly and Vlad sighed. He would allow it to remain for a while longer, he supposed.

That night, the kitten screamed until daylight. Yowling and running up and down his hallways, it only paused at his window to shriek at the gardens.

Vlad crawled out of bed the next morning, having slept almost a full two hours, and feeling the weight of it on his shoulders. The wretched beast would have to go. Today.

Again, Vlad found himself at PetSmart, talking to the same employee. She frowned when he told he was going to give it away due to its incessant noise.

"Have you taken it to the vet?" the girl asked him. "It might just be sick – cats can't talk you know. They're like babies, they only have one way to communicate."

And that was how Vlad found himself buying the first crate he grabbed, a plastic pink monstrosity that snapped together around and equally pink metal grating. He snatched up the still-yowling monster and shoved it inside, and ended up waiting at the veterinarian clinic closest to the PetSmart.

"Didn't get much info on here, did we?" the old doctor said with a smile, looking over the papers Vlad had filled out. The doctor didn't seem to recognize him, unlike the secretary, the nurse, and the several others in the waiting room, and it was actually comforting to the man. "No breed, no age, no name?"

"I only recently obtained the animal," Vlad explained. And if there was nothing wrong with the beast, it would be gone from his mansion and his life.

"No matter, we'll get this all sorted out." The vet opened the small cage, clicking his tongue and smiling sweetly. "C'mon baby. Let's get a good look at you."

It looked at the doctor with wide eyes and yowled, the same scream that had kept Vlad up all night.

"That noise is the reason I bought it in," Vlad said as the vet continued to croon. "It's been howling lately and last night it didn't even sleep."

The doctor nodded. He abandoned the cage for a moment, grabbing a handful of something out of a jar and putting it on the table. Treats, Vlad recognized, watching the kitten slowly poke its head out of its cage. It looked at Vlad and trilled, before slinking out and crouching next to the treats. Before it could start eating, however, the doctor grabbed the animal, lifting it quickly.

"Let's just examine you real quick," he spoke even as the kitten hissed and flailed. Expertly dodging sharp claws, the vet looked at teeth and fur and even lifted its tail to peer behind it. The doctor smiled and nodded, placing the kitten back on the exam table so that it could scamper back into the cage.

"You said you recently adopted the kitten?" the doctor asked, pushing a few treats inside the cage. There was a moment of suspicious silence before crunching could be heard.

"Almost two weeks ago. Does that affect whatever is wrong with it?"

The vet chuckled. "No, no, there's nothing _wrong_ , per se. Your kitten has just entered a heat cycle."

"A heat cycle?" That answered his question, several of them actually. "So then this will be over and done with soon, correct?"

The doctor shrugged. "Perhaps. You should be aware, however, that her cycle can last anywhere from one to seven days. And once this heat has passed, she could cycle back into it in as little as a week."

Another week of howling. Another week of shrieking and biting and hissing. And then for it to start all over again so soon?

Vlad pushed the carrier closer.

"Fix her."


	13. Lucky

Vlad glowered at the CD player Danielle had left behind this time. Maddie, still blotchy and purple in some places, had hissed and slunk around the mansion until Danny came back to collect the girl. Vlad had tracked down the poor, harassed animal, finding her attacking the device that smelled like her tormentor.

He smiled, laughing at Maddie's anger. It was easier for her to attack a set of headphones than something that bleed and complained. Besides, it would teach the irritating girl to leave her things laying around.

Maddie growled and fell on her side, swatting at the black and white player. Her claw caught on one of the buttons, and she jumped into the air with a squeak as a tinny voice began to sing.

 _She's so lucky, she's a star_

 _But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart, thinking_

 _If there's nothing missing in my life_

 _Then why do these tears come at night?_

Vlad's good mood fell as he scowled. A pink blast destroyed the machine and he stalked away, Maddie hissing at the melted metal one last time before following.


	14. Dragon

"How come she lets you do stuff to her?"

"Uh, 'cause I'm nice and I haven't dunked her into a bathtub full of Jell-O?"

"But this is practically the same thing, and I can hear her purring from _here_."

Dani pouted and crossed her poofy arms over her chest, watching as Danny carefully clipped the green hood together. She wanted to go over and pet the cat, but any time Maddie caught her eye, she hissed and made Danny flinch.

Danny looked his work over with a wide grin. Maddie lifted her paws, inspecting the fabric that draped lightly over her fur. Her tail curled up, flipping a length of glittering sequins along her back and Danny quickly readjusted it, his own armor shifting quietly.

"Are you two finished torturing my cat?" Vlad asked from the doorway, readjusting the crown Danny had found at a junk store. Not quite the Crown of Fire, but the plastic gleamed nicely and it still had most of the plastic jewels glued to it.

"I guess so," Dani continued to pout. Sam had let her borrow one of the gaudiest, fluffiest dresses her mother forced into her closet (because if Dani got scratched up by the cat again, Sam wouldn't care how much blood got on the dress), and Dani had found a bit of lace in Vlad's attic to make a veil.

"She seems happy with it." Danny stood, making sure none of his armor had come unglued. He and Tucker had stayed up all night with a hairdryer and hot glue, forming every "metal" plate out of crafting foam while Sam sprayed it all with silver paint.

Maddie padded up to Vlad, squeaking and clicking until he picked her up, the green dragon costume barely even twisting. She curled up against him and purred, rubbing her nose against his cheek and almost knocking off his crown.

This promised to be one of the happiest Halloweens he'd had in a long time.


	15. Hidden

Vlad walked down his hallway, exhausted. He had already hung his suit jacket up, and was unbuttoning his cuffs, rolling his sleeves up his arms. He'd had a long day, and all he wanted to do was lay down for a few moments. His room was at the end of the hall, and all he could focus on was his large, fluffy bed.

He passed by a hall table, dropping his cuff links on the polished surface, when he felt a light tap on his ankle. He looked down in surprise, watching as Maddie emerged from her hiding spot and bolted down the hallway. She paused for a moment, looking behind her to make sure he was going to follow.

If Maddie wanted to play tag, he thought with a smile as he transformed to fly after her, there would be no harm in indulging her.


	16. Memes

"What are you doing, Daniel?"

The boy was floating above Maddie, phone out and taking pictures as she rolled in a patch of sunlight.

"I'm trying to make your cat internet-famous." Danny frowned as Maddie twitched her whiskers. "But she's not doing anything, you know. Internet-y."

"Then leave her alone, she's trying to nap."

Danny ignored Vlad, phasing halfway through the floor to get as close to Maddie's nose as possible. "Don't you want all those theoretical dollars you can get?"

"I have all the _actual_ dollars I could ever want." Vlad looked at his cat, watching the way she swished her tail and curled her back paws, "You should be careful that you don't end up like Danielle, little badger."

"What are you talking about?" Danny laughed. He went to poke Maddie on the nose. "She loves me, don't you, Little Miss?"

The moment the boy's finger connected to Maddie's nose, the cat whipped around and bit him hard enough to draw blood. She hissed as Danny yelped and she ran to Vlad, hiding behind his legs.

"She didn't flee the room. I guess she does love you after all."


	17. Real Life

Vlad twisted his lips and grumbled under his breath. No matter how many times he'd done this, he would always hate it.

The litter sifted through the scoop and he dumped the clumps in the trashcan. Maddie watched from the bathroom doorway, ears pricked forward as Vlad poured an extra bit of litter, replacing what he'd removed.

"You smell," he accused the animal, standing and stretching. He was getting too old to crouch down while he cleaned the cat box.

Maddie just flicked her tail once, padding over to inspect her fresh, clean litter. She looked to Vlad and chirped before settling in to do her business.

"I just cleaned that." The cat finished, bolting out of the bathroom and spraying litter all over the floor. "And I just swept that."

* * *

A/N: Inspired by a conversation I had with my cat this morning ^^;;


	18. Green

Maddie watched Vlad's plate intensely. Her eyes followed every movement of his fork, from plate to mouth. She sat tensely, pretending to clean her whiskers every time he looked over at her.

"Don't beg, Maddie," Vlad told her. The sound of his voice only made her stand and rub against his legs. She reached up, putting her paws on his knees, but he quickly detached her claws and set her back down. "No."

Maddie sat again, curling her tail around her feet. She squeaked at Vlad, thumping the tip of her tail against the floor. She'd already eaten her own food, scattering the crunchy bits all over the kitchen floor, but she was waiting impatiently for something off his plate.

Vlad tried to deny her, he always did. But he could never keep up his resolve.

"Fine, you win again."

He took a few peas from his plate, bright and green, and rolled them across the tile floor. Maddie's eyes lit up and she chased after them, batting them between her paws. She would amuse herself until he was done, leaving the mushed remains for him to clean up later.


	19. Laughing

Vlad sat in his office, the scratching of his pen echoing in the dimly lit room. He'd been stuck in his home office all night, staring at the same folders of paperwork. His eyes were strained, and he was unsuccessfully hiding his yawns in his third cup of coffee. He hadn't even left the room to eat, forcing himself to squint at the fine print. He would have grabbed his reading glasses, but he couldn't remember where he'd put them last and he was certain Maddie had knocked them around anyway.

He leaned back, stretching his arms over his head. He was almost done, he promised himself. Then he could go to bed for what remained of the night.

 _Skrtch, skrtch._

" _Mrr_?"

"No, Maddie," he called out with a yawn. He didn't even glance to the door where his cat waited on the other side, scratching at the thick wood. He hadn't installed a cat door for his office so as to prevent these kinds of interruptions. "Go away."

" _Whrr-lur_."

More scratching. She was bound to destroy the wood at this rate. He stood with a sigh, cracking his back. Perhaps he _had_ been sitting for too long.

"Just for a moment, Maddie."

The cat poked her head through the crack in the doorway, purring as she sauntered into the office. She rubbed luxuriously against Vlad's legs, squeaking loudly. Vlad smiled, reaching down to pet her behind the ears before returning to his seat. Her company would help him finish up.

The sound of his pen started up again, this time accompanied by the jingle of Maddie's collar as she sat next to his feet and scratched under her chin. She padded across his feet, twining her tail around his leg. At her chirps, he would let one hand fall, to boop her on the nose or scritch at the base of her tail, but he would always pull away to resume his paper work.

Maddie sat, watching Vlad ignore her. Her ears twitched and her whiskers quivered. With a loud trill, she bunched her legs up under her and leapt into Vlad's lap. The man sputtered, dropping his pen as Maddie purred, kneading into his thighs.

"M-Maddie! Your claws!" Vlad grabbed the cat, ready to put her on the ground, but she twisted, crawling up onto his shoulder and huddling close to his chest. She squeaked happily and stuck her nose in his ear with a happy huff.

He laughed, her whiskers tickling him, and he hugged her close. Her warm body rumbled and he nuzzled into her soft fur.

Somehow, paperwork didn't seem so important right now.


	20. Red

The first time Vlad's eyes glowed, Maddie hid from him for a few days. It was something about the way the red light illuminated the whole room in his rage, or possibly something about how the slight tap into his ghost powers made the stench of the supernatural fill the room. Either way, Maddie hissed and growled from under the bed until Vlad finally managed to coax her out with treats and sweet whispers.

He vowed to never loose control around her ever again.


	21. Pain

Vlad had taken to sprawling out on the couch as of late, as it made it easier for when Maddie wanted to curl up on his stomach and take a nap. He was currently laying back, flipping idly through a news paper and enjoying his day off. Less focused on current events, he wondered if it would be worth the effort to go to Amity Park and irritate Daniel and his friends.

His only warning was the jingle of Maddie's collar as she bunched her paws under her.

"Madd- _oof_!"

Ten pounds of cat landed on his bladder as Maddie pounced, springing off his lap to reach the back of the couch so that she could curl up in the patch of sun that lay there. Vlad wheezed, curling up in pain and rolling off the cushions to land on the floor.

" _Whrr_?" Maddie blinked at Vlad, wondering why he was hissling into the rug instead of petting her.


	22. Darkness

Vlad stood in his doorway, calling Maddie's name out into the darkness. The cat had scratched and rubbed up against the front door all day, irritating the man until he'd finally let her outside. Normally, she wandered around for a bit on the front porch, maybe slinking down the stairs to nibble at his roses or roll in the patch of mint he'd planted for her. If she decided to spend too much time puttering about, Vlad would simply go back inside, returning after a few minutes to find a disheveled and frantic animal that mewled and whined until he picked her up and apologized for "abandoning" her.

But she wasn't waiting on him this time.

He raised a hand to his mouth, calling her name loud and long. Even after the sun had set, Maddie still hadn't come home, and he was worried.

Even with the moon nothing more than a tiny sliver in the sky, Vlad's eyes could still pick out each blade of grass, his ears could still hear the shuffle of mice that still dared to live near the home of a cat. But no white fur running up to him or jingling of a glittering collar.

" _Ma-addie_!" He walked down his front steps, trying to see more of his yard with red-tinged night vision. "Maddie, Daddy's waiting for you!"

"You seriously call yourself 'Daddy'?" came a laughing voice from behind him.

Vlad turned with a glowing glare as Danny floated on his stomach in his doorway. Maddie was currently curled up on his back, purring loudly. The ghost's core must have been cold, as she had her paw draped lightly over her nose.

"What are you doing with her, little badger?" Vlad asked, stalking up to the pair. He gingerly lifted Maddie, the cat stretching with a squealing purr before resettling against his shoulder. Even her paws were cold as she kneaded against him, wrapping her tail around his arm.

Danny righted himself with a lazy smile, feet touching down as he transformed with a flash, so much more blinding in the dark of night.

"Your dumb cat got herself stuck in a tree. Probably tried to get a bird or something, 'cause she was just sitting in a branch with her pathetic little ' _moo, moo, moo_ '." Danny reached up to scratch Maddie's whiskers. "Bet you're glad to be home with _Daddy_ , huh, Little Miss?"


	23. Forgotten

Vlad's secretary noticed he was coming in lately with dirt under his nails. The first time she'd noticed, she had asked after his well-being. Certainly he always looked pristine, never a hair out of place or wrinkle in his clothes. But he'd just given her a tiny, sad smile and told her he was fine.

He began to work later, more often than not leaving along with the janitorial staff. His casual visits to Amity Park became fewer and further between. She was certain, even, that he wasn't eating properly anymore. Now, along with scheduling meetings and directing phone calls, she found herself ordering lunch, and even dinner, to be delivered to his office.

"Whatever happened, sir," she said one day, lingering in his doorway. He didn't look up, but he paused typing. "I hope you feel better."

Vlad dismissed her with a silent wave.

Vlad tried to do better after that. He gave his poor secretary a raise and tried to be more jovial. He washed his hands more often before he left his home, truly he did.

But when he looked at the sprawling mint bush that marked Maddie's grave and saw the beginnings of weeds, he couldn't just leave them. Otherwise, it would mean he had forgotten the only companion he'd ever had.

* * *

A/N: This can be considered a continuation of chapter 10: Death.


	24. OTP

WARNING: Contains some hot and steamy, but not explicit, Pompous Pep and some language. I'd rate this chapter at a hard T, light M.

* * *

Vlad growled eagerly, kissing those oh so soft lips. Fingertips left freezing trails across his chest as they grabbed at his tie, fumbling to undo it. Danny's body arched up, pressing against the flaring heat of the older halfa's core. He whined when Vlad pulled away, grabbing desperately at his shoulders.

"Calm yourself, little badger," Vlad murmured with a wicked grin. How long had he wanted Danny completely at his mercy? And, to think, this was all it took... "We have plenty of time tonight."

Danny watched, eyes flashing a blinding emerald as Vlad unbuttoned his shirt ever so slowly. He grabbed at his own clothes, trying to toss them off as fast as possible. Ending up tangled in his shirt, he growled and phased it off his body, tossing it somewhere in the darkness of the master bedroom.

"Since you're so eager," came the sudden whisper at his ear, hot lips brushing against his throat and making him shiver, "why don't you lie back, hm?"

"O-ok!" Danny squeaked. His cheeks burned, made worse because he knew Vlad could see them even in the pitch darkness. He shifted and wiggled, yelping as Vlad grabbed him by the hips and dragged him closer. Danny whined, breath fluttering, core pulsing and sending up tendrils of steam as it reacted to the heat that rolled of Vlad in waves. He felt the touch of skin on his stomach and he gasped, taut muscles jumping to the sound of a breathy chuckle.

Vlad's weight pressed down on him, hot but not uncomfortable. Danny spread his legs a bit wider, kicking his feet and stretching his toes.

And nudging against something fuzzy.

"Vl-Vlad," Danny whined. Hands were exploring his chest, his stomach, playing with the band of his jeans. It was hard to think, even harder to speak. "Vlad, stop it."

Lips pulled away from his neck where they'd been busy biting to life a large bruise. Warm breath sent a tingle all the way down Danny's spine as the older man hissed softly, "What is it? Are you uncomfortable, Daniel?"

"Not that. It's just the, the cat..."

Vlad hesitated a moment, to let the glow die from his eyes, before glancing to the foot of the bed. Maddie was laying there, facing the door with her ears laid back. Her tail swished, tapping against the mattress with a low _thump, thump._

"Maddie," Vlad ignored Danny as he made a face and grumbled under his breath, "go on – get out."

"She's a cat, Vlad," the boy deadpanned, "she's not going to leave just 'cause you told her to."

With great reluctance, Vlad disentangled himself from the boy to sit up, reaching out for the cat. He lifted her from the mattress, her claws sticking to it like Velcro, and gave her a quick kiss on the top of the head before setting her on the floor. "Don't be jealous, love. Come back later."

Maddie's collar jingled when she landed, and Vlad quickly turned back to the delicious boy he was ready to devour. Hands found purchase on Danny's lithe hips, a tongue traced over the scarred chest. Danny sighed happily, entwining his fingers in Vlad's ponytail. The warmth he'd been deprived of for only a few moments was back, balancing out the ice that usually filled his body. Teeth nipped gently, and Danny felt his breath hitching as Vlad moved further down.

" _Mlrr_?"

Danny flopped back with a deflated groan. "Apparently it's already 'later'."

Vlad growled against Danny's navel. He reached out with one foot to gently nudge Maddie, but she was already flopped back in her spot. He wedged his toes under her stomach to pry her up, but she just rolled onto her side, still swishing her tail.

"Just ignore her," Vlad grunted. He had waited so long for this, he wasn't about to let Maddie get in the way. "She's all the way over there."

But Danny had other ideas, pushing Vlad away with a glare. "I'm not having sex while the cat's on the bed. Move it."

Vlad sat back, glaring. At Danny's jeans that were still on, at the cat that was refusing to budge, at his own inability to control a dumb animal for a much more important situation.

Danny flopped next to Maddie, blinking in the slow way Vlad had taught him meant "I'm friendly" to cats. Maddie's ear twitched at him and he figured that was close enough.

"Little Miss," (Danny refused to call her Maddie, especially when he was half-naked in his boyfriend's bed) "you gotta move, 'k?" He tried to shove the cat, but she was so fluffy she barely shifted. "You're being Daddy's little cockblock and you need to stop it." She didn't even twitch her whiskers. "All right, let's go."

Danny rolled off the huge bed, taking Maddie into his arms. The cat huffed and wriggled until Danny had to grab her by the scruff of the neck just to keep holding her. He tossed her into the hallway (Vlad calling out lazily, "Don't throw my cat."), quickly shutting the door behind him, even locking it for good measure. His eyes flashed a bright green in the dark and she smiled.

"So, where were we?"

Vlad's eyes smoldered from the headboard and Danny shivered as he crawled back into the bed. He felt the soft fabric of Vlad's slacks, running his fingers up and up...

And nudging against something fuzzy.

"What the hell?!" Danny snapped as Vlad laughed. "Little Miss, when did you get back in here?" He turned to look at the door.

Still closed.

Maddie purred as Vlad picked her up, scratching her ears in defeat.

"Did you remember to lock her cat door?"


	25. Alien

Dani's breath caught in her throat at the sound. The scratching, the clicking. The heavy thumping of clawed feet on metal.

The sound of Death.

"Over here," Danny hissed, pointing to a row of lockers. "Hide, hide! It'll see you!"

Dani scrambled into the locker, slamming it shut. Her fingertips were trembling and she leaned back, peering through the grating. "Is it here?"

"Be quiet – it can hear you!"

"Seriously?!" Dani clamped her hands over her mouth as it passed by. The elongated head, sharp drooling teeth, long scorpion tail. The Xenomorph, Danny called it.

The alien paused right in front of Dani. The girl swallowed a whimper, pulling back as far from it as possible. If that thing found her...

She'd seen it before – the second set of jaws that burst through human flesh, the claws that rent others apart. She'd be damned if it got her before she completed her mission!

It huffed and clicked, slowly vanishing from view. For a long time, Dani heard it shuffling about the corridor, snorting and looking for its vanished prey. Then, the mechanical hiss of the pneumatic doors. Then...

Silence.

 _Am I safe?_ she mouthed at Danny, still too terrified to speak.

He held up one hand, listening intently. But the Xenomorph's heavy stomping was gone. He braved a whisper, "I think it's gone... Check the radar."

Dani swallowed hard. She hated checking the radar. The once comforting peep was now a shrill siren, one that called the alien ever closer.

But the static-filled screen was gloriously empty.

"Ok, ok, ok." She couldn't help it – she was more terrified than she had ever been in her life. Nothing – not even the threat of destabilization – had ever scared her this much. "It's just down the hall, right? We grab the ID and check the log and we can _leave_ , right?"

"Yeah – hurry before it comes back!"

Dani ran down the corridor, stumbling over a blood splattered chair. It clattered loudly and the girl whimpered, knowing that making such a racket would only lure the alien to her. She could see the medical bay not even three doors down. She just had to run in, and check the logs. Then she could escape this damn ship, and go _home_.

Right there, right there! The code for this door was the same as every other, thank god. She put her tongue between her teeth and furrowed her brow.

1...

7...

0...

2!

The door hissed and Dani took a step back. She was ready to bolt inside, grab the file, and bolt back out! She was so close to completing her mission, she could taste it!

" _Mrr_!"

Dani screamed as a white blur jumped into her lap, eyes flaring solid green. The alien, alerted to her terror, dropped on top of her from an overhead vent, opening its jaws wide, second mouth gnashing.

Danny fell back onto the couch, chest heaving with laughter as Amanda Ripley was devoured by the Xenomorph. Dani threw off the PS4 headset and hurled the controller to the floor, shoving Maddie out of her lap.

"You guys are jerks," Dani whined, pouting at the Game Over screen. Her heart was pounding in her ears, but she could still hear her cousin's wheezing laughter. "Seriously – I thought Maddie was a facehugger! I almost blasted the crap out of her!"

"Aw man," Danny gasped, wiping the tears from his eyes. "We haven't even _reached_ the facehuggers yet. You gonna flip out at them, too?"

"Wha-at? You mean there _are_ facehuggers in this game?!" Dani ran her fingers through her ponytail, taking deep, calming breaths. She glared at the cat that was sitting at her feet, grooming her whiskers as though she hadn't just cost Dani her turn at Danny's game. "Alright, you fluffy jerk. You want attention? Come here."

Dani reached out to grab the cat, but Maddie sauntered out of her grasp. With a flick of her tail, Maddie stalked out of the room.

"Oh, come on!" Dani flopped back into her chair, back aching from being so tense. "You dumb cat – you _knew_ that would get me killed! Danny – that doesn't count as my turn, does it?"

"C'mon, Dani. Hand over the controller – let me show you how a pro escapes a Xenomorph."


	26. Unpopular Headcannon

When Vlad found her online, he knew he was in love. With sleek white and black fur and beautiful red eyes, he couldn't think of anything else for days. Even Daniel, the blessed boy, couldn't get him back to earth for more than a few moments at a time.

"Dad?" Daniel huffed, eyes flashing green in irritation. Though he looked fourteen, he'd only recently celebrated his second birthday and was still working on reigning in his powers. "Dad, c'mon and listen already. I have a project due in a week and Dani's still busy in Amity Park."

"Hm?" Vlad blinked back to reality as his son whined at him. "I thought you told me you were done with your homework two days ago."

Daniel blushed and reached up to rub the back of his neck in a gesture Vlad hadn't been able to rid the boy of. "W-Well, it's not really _homework_ if you think about it. I mean, we are working on it in class sometimes, too..."

Vlad sighed in good natured exasperation. What made him think a teenager was something he'd wanted bad enough to clone? But he hugged the boy as he stood, ushering him to his room and promising to help in any way he could.

* * *

A price was attached to her picture the next day: five hundred dollars.

Or best offer.

Vlad frowned at his phone, glancing up intermittently at Daniel who was engrossed in researching South African cultures. Dani had promised to tell her little brother all about it personally, but she had been called to Amity Park and couldn't get away.

Such a low price for such a beautiful animal was too good to be true. So he stood and told Daniel to continue researching on his own for a few minutes – and stay off that blasted Doomed game – while he called the number in the hallway.

A man named Andy told him he would send pictures and video of her.

* * *

Vlad drummed his fingers on his thigh, frowning. There was a Wildlife Officer on the phone with him, talking about the condition of the poor beast. Whatever image Andy and Fran had used for the tiger's listing, it was nothing compared to the animal that Vlad had seen.

Sure she was a tiger, with white and black fur. Her eyes, when he could see them, were indeed red.

But she was skinny, enough to count her ribs and see her pelvis. She had groomed the fur on her stomach and thighs to nothing, raw pink flesh exposed. The cage she was kept in couldn't have been more than a few hundred square feet, and it was covered in her own filth. There were no toys to be played with and, when asked, Andy said she was allowed to swim in a chlorinated pool once a month.

"It's not good," the officer told Vlad. "From what you told me, she's been captive since birth. In a space that small, there's no way she'd have learned to hunt. It's most likely she'd starve to death or walk up to the first poacher she sees, looking for food."

"Can anything be done for her?" Vlad looked up to see Daniel standing in his doorway. The older man smiled and waved him over, but Daniel just huffed and crossed his arms.

"We can attempt to rehabilitate her, but..." The officer sighed deeply. "It's likely that she'll never survive in the wild."

Daniel couldn't stand being mad at his father for too long, and he hurried over, throwing his arms around Vlad's neck. Vlad hugged the boy tightly before saying, "We'll see what we can do for her. I'll set up a meeting with these monsters."

Daniel sighed as Vlad hung up and immediately called Fran's number. "Dad, I think you love cats more than me."

"Nonsense," Vlad said with a smile, each ring increasing his mounting rage. "I'd never clone a cat."

* * *

Vlad couldn't stop the sneer that twisted his lips, and was only barely able to contain the flash of red in his eyes as the officers dragged Fran off his mint bush by the handcuffs. Once he was certain he wouldn't murder someone, he would have to check and make sure Maddie's grave marker was all right. Beside him, Daniel was more apt to make faces as Andy screamed about being "set up".

"Maybe you should take better care of wild animals that don't deserve to be pets!" he yelled, eyes flashing brightly behind his usual dark sunglasses.

Even as Vlad shushed the boy, he wondered how a piece of Miss. Manson's personality had snuck into his programming.

But Daniel was right, he agreed silently. The poor tiger had been shoved in a common horse trailer, and he could see her pacing back and forth. The Wildlife Officers, watching the Madison Police Department collar the two so-called "owners", were talking amongst themselves, trying to figure out the best place for the traumatized animal. He took a deep breath, patting Daniel on the shoulder reassuringly as he walked into the chaos.

"Is there some issue?" he asked the first officer not talking into his radio.

"The zoo is willing to take her, but they're saying the clinic is full. And it would cost them too much to foster her at the tiger sanctuary until she can be properly placed in the exhibit."

Vlad smirked, the warm touch of hope filling him for the first time since seeing the poor animal being hauled up his driveway. "Then it's a good thing you're talking to the richest man in the state. Daniel – my checkbook."

* * *

A plaque hung in the zoo, shiny and new, decreeing to all who read it:

 _Waiting for our new Guest_

" _Maddie"_

 _Albino Siberian Tiger_

 _Donated by Vlad and Daniel Masters._


	27. Phantom Planet Alternate Ending

Maddie always hated the cold touch of intangibility. It froze her to the core and always left the scent of the supernatural that she had to groom away. The only time Vlad had ever intentionally used it fully on her was when she'd gotten stuck behind the washing machine as a kitten, and she'd repaid him for it by leaving a long scar down the back of his hand.

But this wasn't just a touch. It wasn't the phasing through of dirty sheets she refused to get off of, or a hand reaching into her stomach to retrieve the block of rat poison an ex-gardener had the misfortune to leave by the mint bush. This aching sense of ice and nothingness lingered long enough to wake her from her nap. She looked around for Vlad, ears laid flat against her skull.

But it wasn't Vlad. He had left that morning in a rage, racing out the door without so much as feeding her.

In fact, she wasn't the only thing intangible. The bed, the floor, the room. She could feel it in her whiskers – the entire _mansion_ was intangible!

Maddie stood, arching her back and puffing her tail. Whatever had the power to do something like this was certainly something she didn't want to encounter.

And then, just as suddenly as it started, it was over.

Maddie leapt from the bed, paws tingling as feeling – warmth of flowing blood, softness of carpet, cool touch of A/C – returned all at once. Her tail switched, and she kept her fur on end to try to scare away whatever was out there. The slightly acrid stench of otherworldlyness clung to everything, and she couldn't stand it.

She slunk under the bed, ready to wait for Vlad to come home and comfort her.

* * *

Night fell, and Vlad still wasn't back.

She had groomed herself under the bed, until her fur was free from the smell of the unknown and lay flat against her. She kept her paws under her body, and her tail wrapped around her. Her stomach was growling, but she didn't want to stray into the rest of the house yet.

It still reeked of intangibility.

* * *

Maddie fell asleep at some point. When a ray of sunshine lay across the floor in front of her, she blinked and stretched. She was starting to cramp, and she was getting very hungry. She crept to the edge of the bed, peering out.

There was no ghost out there, waiting.

Vlad wasn't out there either.

She slunk out into the room, whiskers twitching and tail switching. Her ears swiveled back and forth, listening for any out of place noises.

The mansion was completely empty, without even the bravest of mice to scratch in the walls.

Maddie remained close to the ground, nosing her way out of the cat door. The hallway was devoid of life, and whatever remained of the massive intangibility seemed to have settled. It no longer hung in the air like a cloud of dust, but instead clung to the furniture and the carpet. All her usual marking spots would have to be redone, rubbed over and over until her cheek was numb.

There had been times, usually not often but more recently for some reason, when Vlad would simply appear in the basement. He would forget to greet her and hold her and give her cuddles. He would sullenly walk around her, ignoring her pleading meows for food and affection.

It wouldn't be until late on those nights, when he collapsed in bed that he would seem to remember Maddie, and giver her scratches and treats until she curled up next to him and fell asleep. She was usually mad at him the next day, but he would cuddle her and boop her on the nose until she was purring again.

Right now, anger was furthest from her mind. She was still scared from whatever had happened, and hunger had made her brave enough to try and track him down.

She took the staircase one step at a time, pausing and looking around for whatever threat might have invaded.

But there was still nothing.

She leaned against the banister at the final step. Her ears were perked forward, and her body shook as she breathed deeply, trying to find the scent of Vlad.

* * *

The basement was ruined. Machines were destroyed, tables were flipped. Shiny green ectoplasm splattered across the floor and dripped off the walls. Broken glass covered the floor, and what few wires that were still plugged in were sparking. Even the swirling green portal was broken, the doors dented and scratched, revealing the dirt behind them.

Maddie didn't want to risk cutting up her paws searching. She meowed, long and lonesome, calling out for Vlad. Sometimes, he just needed to be reminded that she was there.

But Vlad never came back.

* * *

She knew that the food was behind the large door in the kitchen, and she sat in front of it. Her tail was wrapped around her paws, the tip thumping against the tile. Vlad had never installed a cat door on it, and he was the only one that could turn the knob.

But he wasn't in the kitchen.

She turned to her water dish and drank until she was full.

* * *

Maddie explored the entire mansion. Every door that was left cracked, she nudged open. She squeezed into every room, even the ones that were dusty and waiting for the maids to freshen up.

Nothing had been disturbed, nothing had been touched. Vlad's scent was beginning to get stale.

She crawled under the bed and slept.

* * *

Maddie wasn't fast enough to hunt, not that there were any animals left. She'd chased them all away a long time ago.

But the maids were supposed to show up today. She knew their schedule and she waited in the foyer. Most of them didn't care for cats, and they shooed her out of the way to dust or they turned on the vacuum to scare her. But one of them always scritched her behind the ears, and he always carried treats in his pocket.

She sat and she waited, ears twitching, straining for any sound that might come from the destroyed basement.

The maids never showed.

Maddie watched the sunlight crawl across the floor, bright and warm stretching out into a long orange. The heat of the day passed and night fell, bringing with it the chill of night. She left her post once, to drink until she was full and use the overflowing litter box, but even then Maddie knew she wouldn't have missed them coming in.

Even as the moon rose, Maddie waited for someone to show.

* * *

The water dish was dry.

Maddie licked at the bowl, tongue scraping against the stainless steel. Her collar jingled merrily, metal tapping on metal and making her ears twitch. Thirst was overriding hunger, and she kneaded against the tile. She knew where water came from, and she was tired of waiting for Vlad to come back.

She leapt onto the counter, padding over to the sink. The knob was cold on her nose as she nudged against it, but she ignored the feeling. It wasn't as bad as intangibility.

It took a few minutes, longer than she would have bothered with otherwise, but soon the sound of rushing water broke the silence. She leaned over into the basin, lapping desperately at the stream from the faucet. She didn't bother trying to turn it off when she jumped down.

She would only come back later when she was hungry again.

* * *

She groomed while she waited. She licked her paws and wiped the dust from her eyes. She chewed at her thighs and the base of her tail.

She coughed up most of her fur, her exposed skin growing cold.

The stench of her own waste piling up had overtaken the mansion.

She couldn't smell Vlad anymore.

* * *

Maddie no longer wandered the mansion. She didn't have the strength. The lights Vlad had left on had gone out a few days ago, the steady stream of water cut off without warning.

The maids had never showed to clean.

A man waked up to the mansion, once, and Maddie had screamed into the window, trying to get his attention. But he just nailed something to the door and left.

She tried to groom, but the feel of her rough tongue on skin stretched taught over her ribs hurt, and she bled sometimes. Her vision blurred, and she blinked slowly, trying to get any moisture into her eyes.

She padded into Vlad's room. It was the only place she that still held his scent. She used the last bit of strength to leap onto the mattress.

She curled up at the foot of the bed, tucking her nose into her paws.

And she couldn't wait any longer.


	28. Vortex

Vlad and Danny were arguing again.

Maddie lay her ears flat against her skull as the wind picked up, howling just outside the windows. She didn't like the rain, especially the hard storms. It reminded her of the weather from when she was a kitten. She'd wandered too far from her mother and gotten swept away in a flash flood. She'd been so lost and hungry and scared.

But it had lead her to Vlad...

Even then, she'd never quite been able to get over the pounding of the rain or the crashing of fallen tree branches.

So while Danny yelled something that made the sky outside flash with lightning and rumble with thunder, she slunk under Vlad's desk to hide from the rain that would wash her away again.


	29. Laptops

Vlad adjusted the glasses currently sitting on the bridge of his nose. The optometrist told him he was supposed to wear them every time he read, but that order flew right out the window the first time Danny saw him in them.

The boy had almost thrown up from laughing so hard.

So now he only wore them when he worked late into the night, the anti-glare coating reflecting the laptop's blue glow back into the pitch dark room. He'd forgotten to turn on the desk lamp and knew it would only get him yelled at by his doctor again.

" _Mlaow_?"

Maddie purred, stretching and rubbing against Vlad's leg. He promised her that they would go to bed hours ago.

"Give me a moment, love," Vlad told the cat absently as he typed. "I'm almost done here."

Maddie twitched her whiskers. At this rate, it would be time to feed her again before they even slept. She watched, eyes just as sensitive as Vlad's to the bright glow of the computer screen. With no more warning than a soft trill, she leapt onto the desk.

"Maddie, I said to wait a moment!" Vlad admonished.

But the cat just snorted, stepping lightly over his arms. With a defiant look to match his glare, Maddie flopped heavily across the keyboard.


	30. Identification

"Hey, Vlad... Do you know where Maddie is?"

Vlad couldn't keep from glaring at the young girl who shuffled her feet and refused to make eye contact.

"And, why, exactly, do you wish to know, Danielle? Are you going to dye her again or some other such torture?" Vlad snorted as Dani shook her head emphatically.

"It's not that!" (Dani looked away for a moment and mumbled to herself, "Though I think she'd look really cute in green...") "It's just that I wanted to, well, you know..."

"When it comes to you, I can't ever be sure what I know." Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Cease your stuttering and be out with it."

"I wanted to apologize!" Dani blushed when the man's full attention was on her. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a slim pink collar, handing it to Vlad. In place of a small bell, there was a heart-shaped tag with Maddie's name etched in flowing script.

"Her old one still had purple stains on it, so I wanted to make it up to her. Danny helped me earn the money to buy it, and he showed me how to work the tag machine in PetSmart."

"I doubt a collar will be the most suitable trinket to regain Maddie's affections," Vlad said, inspecting the gift. It was high-quality, made to stand up to even the most vigorous of scratching.

Dani bowed her head and pouted. She knew that already, but it still hurt to hear the words out loud. All she'd wanted to do was play with the cat the same way Danny did with Cujo. Suddenly, she felt Vlad's arms around her in a loose hug she hadn't felt since she was first created.

"But it's a start, don't you think?"


	31. Free Day

The zoo in Madison, Wisconsin could now boast the most up-to-date tiger enclosure in the whole United States. Thanks to a well-known "anonymous donor", not only had the tiger exhibit been expanded, but every enclosure had been upgraded to the fullest. Land deals had even been made in the surrounding areas, so as to expand and money had been allotted to upgrade the clinic and breeding programs.

They had even erected the most sophisticated ghost shield Fenton Works could create (and DALV could program for halfas), just in case.

* * *

"Dad, Dad!" Daniel tapped his foot on the floor, eyes flashing brightly behind his sunglasses. "Hurry up or we're going to miss Savannah's presentation!"

"I'm sure that, by now, you have her speech memorized," Vlad laughed. But Daniel just ran back to grab him by the hand, dragging him through the zoo.

While far too used to the general public giving him a wide berth when he walked among them, Vlad was still unused to the warm reception he was given by the zoo staff. Despite never signing his name to anything, a donated tiger the only exception, word had spread like wildfire about whose money was being put to good use. He was stopped and thanked, and even had a few volunteers tear up, babbling happily about how much good he was doing for the animals.

It made Vlad feel a spark of warmth, one he was still getting used to after living for so long in misery.

"But you still haven't been by to see Maddie's new friend," Daniel insisted, weaving his father through various groups of wide-eyed children. It seemed several schools had chosen that same beautiful weekend to schedule an outing. "Savannah said that it great seeing them get along. Tigers aren't that social, you know, but Maddie was raised by humans and she seems to like the company."

It was something Daniel had been raving about for the past few days. A tiger had been picked up, rescued from an illegal "circus" that was nothing more than an exotic petting zoo, with each manner of deadly animal drugged up until it could barely breathe. The second tiger had taken months of rehabilitation, longer even than Maddie had needed, and had been introduced into the enclosure just last week.

"Savannah says they really balance each other out – like how Maddie is really shy from being cooped up, the other tiger has plenty of energy and she's always trying to get Maddie to play and swim! And when they do relax, they're always snuggling, and it's really cute!"

Vlad smiled as he listened to the same ranting Daniel had spouted on the ride to the zoo. From the few civil conversations he'd had with Danny about space, Daniel seemed to possess the same exhilaration for all animals.

He was still certain something of Samantha had snuck its way into Daniel's original programming.

They reached the exhibit, all native grasses with wide pools to swim in and even a gauge to hold a perfect temperature to keep the tigers from having to suffer any more discomfort. Wildlife Expert Savannah was talking to a school group in matching shirts, her voice echoing lightly through the speakers. Her eye caught Daniel as he rushed up, and she favored him with a small wave, not once letting up on her speech. She maintained a professionalism that Vlad greatly appreciated.

Even if she did occasionally allow Daniel into the restricted areas, showing him the nuances of zookeeping that he soaked up like any other fact Vlad had planted in his mind.

True, Daniel knew Savannah's spiel by heart, coming to the zoo every free day he had, but he continued to listen intently, eyes glowing their brightest and illuminating his nose and cheeks with green, despite the sunglasses. Vlad patted his son on the shoulder, Daniel blinking out of his happy stupor and following him to the second plaque, installed just that morning. Vlad read the freshly etched words once.

Then once again.

Then he held his head in his hands and groaned.

"Daniel," Vlad said into his hands. "When you speak to Savannah again, ask her how much I will need to donate in order to rename the other tiger."

"Why? Do you want it anything in particular?" Daniel looked at the plaque.

 _Maddie_

 _Albino Siberian Tiger_

 _Jacqueline "Jack"_

 _Bengal Tiger_

 _Forever friends, and forever together._

" _Anything_ ," Vlad pleaded as Daniel laughed. "Anything other than _that_..."

* * *

A/N: Oh my gosh~ I did it! I finished DannyMay~ I can't believe I managed to write 31 separate pieces all about a cat that showed up for, what, a total of ten minutes throughout the series? And I can't believe that you enjoyed reading about her!

Thank you to everyone who read, and a special thank you to everyone who reviewed, and a super-extra special _thank you so so so much_ to **kimera20** who diligently reviewed and reblogged every single chapter~


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